30/12/2022
Will E-bikes ever be the norm?
The supply chain issues that were a major concern at the previous assembly are ongoing, but many manufacturers have refilled their stocks in expectation of increased customer demand. They expect that the market will rebalance itself next year with growth easing off slightly due to external factors.
WBIA president Erhard Büchel had this to say on the matter: “We know that the next year might be difficult for the bicycle industry with the energy crisis and a challenging geopolitical situation. However, we see tremendous interest in cycling - and that will not disappear. I am therefore very optimistic about the prospects of the bicycle industry.”
Commenting on the US market specifically, Larry Pizzi, from the Board of Directors of People for Bikes said: “Even though unit sales have plateaued in the past year, we see the market value being strong. Importantly, cycling participation in the US remains elevated over the pre-pandemic level. Once people discover cycling there is no way back.”
The United Nations has had yet another busy year working with the WBIA, where topics such as biking infrastructure across Europe, and boosting bike usage for health benefits has been openly discussed. They have also tried to agree on a standard set of signs and signals that cyclists can use on biking infrastructure across the world - further boosting the public’s safety awareness for bike users.
